Cotton-packer



-' A. M. STEELE.

COTTON PACKBR.

WITNESSES TINTTED STATEs PATENT OEETCE.

ASA MAXEY STEELE, OF WHITESBOROUGH, TEXAS.

coTToNPACKi-:aA

'SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo, 306,971, dated October 21, 18.84.

Application tied July e5, 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. M. STEELE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Whitesborough, inthe county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Packers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved machine for packing or conveying cotton from the lint-room of gin-houses to the press. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line x x in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line y y in Fig. 2.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to an improved machine having for its object to convey the lint or cotton from the gin-house to the press, and to subject it to a preliminary compressing or packing process, the object being to dispense with the manual labor usually called into requisition for this purpose.

To this end my invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts constituting the said machine, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A desig-V nates a suitably-constructed box or casing, which is provided at its lower rear end with a ue or passage, B, by means of which it is connected with the press-box C. The latter contains the follower D, which is provided with a vertical stem or shaft, E, which may be operated in any suitable manner. In the drawings hereto annexed I have shown it provided with a series of teeth or cogs, F F, engaging a pinion, G,which is mounted upon a shaft, H, journaled transversely in suitable bearings upon the upper end of the press-box. The casing A is provided at its front end with Suitable bearings for a transverse shaft, I, having a pinion, J, engaging a longitudinally-slidingv rack-bar, K, which moves through a perforation in the front end of the said box or casing. The rear or inner end of the said rack-bar carries a follower, L, adapted to fit in the flue or 5 5 passage B, from the upper side of which cleats or guides M M extend forwardly to the front end of the press-box. To the upper edge of the follower Lis attached one end of an apron, N, the rear end of which isattached to a roller, 6o O, which is journaled in suitable bearings vnear the front end of casing A. P designates a shield, which is suitably arranged above the said roller, so that the lint, in entering the casing, shall not interfere with the operation 6 5 of the said apron. The lint-entrance is a slot,

Q, formed transversely in the front end of the casing A, directly above the shield P.

The several shafts, as well as the ends of the roller Q, are provided with pulleys or band- 7o wheels R It, connected by means of bands or belts S S in such a manner as to cause them to revolve in proper direction when motive power is applied to the machine, which may be done in any suitable manner. The top of 7 5 the casing A is provided with an opening, T, which may be covered with wire netting or other suitable material. This opening is for the escape of dust, and it also connects the interior of the device to be inspected during 8o operation. i

When this device is in operation, the lint or cotton passing from the gin-house will, on entering the casing A, pass over the shield P and down onto the apron attached to the 1on- 8 5 gitudinally-sliding follower. When the latter is retracted, the cotton will dump upon the bottom of the casing. On the forward movement of the follower the latter will serve to force the contents of the chamber Ain a rear- 9o ward direction and into the press-box. It is evident that by this action of the follower the cotton or lint receives a preliminary compressing action, which is more effective than that which is usually imparted by manual labor. It will also be seen that this device is automatic in its operation, and that, consequently, the labor of several hands may be dispensed with. The shield P will prevent the cotton which may enter the casing during the rearroo ward movement of the follower from interfering with the operation of the apron, and the latter will receive the accumulating lint during such forward motion and discharge it gitudinally-sliding follower, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device for conveying lint from the gin-room to the press-box, the combination, with a suitable easing having a iue or passage connected with the press-box, of a longitudinally-sliding follower fitting in the said ilue or passage, and suitable horizontal guides upon the inner sides of the said casing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a device for conveying lint from the gin-room to the press-box, the combination of a suitable casing having a flue or passage connected with the press-box, of a horizontallysliding follower the upper edge of which is connected by a flexible apron with a roller at the front end of the said casing, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device for conveying lint from a cotton-gin to a press-box, the combination, with a suitable casing having a longitudinally-sliding follower the upper edge of which is connected by a flexible apron with a roller at the frontend of said casing, of a shield arranged above the said roller and below the lint-entra-nce, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the casing, the longitudinallysliding follower, a flexible apron connecting the upper edge of thclattcr with a i roller at the front end of the casing. a shield arranged above the said roller, a rack-bar or stem extending forwardly from the said follower through the front end of the easing, and a suitably-mounted pinion engaging the said rack-bar, substautiallyas and for the purpose Set forth.

G. In a device for conveying lint from the gin-house to the press-box, the herein-dcscribed easing having a horizontal flue or passage, a follower moving longitudinally in the said passage, and an upward extension provided at its upper end with an opening c0vered with wire netting or equivalentmaterial, so as to admit of the escape of dust, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The herein-deseribed device for conveying cotton-lint from the ginhouse to the pressbox, the same comprising the herein-described structure, consisting of a casing, a ilue or passage extending rearwardly i'roni the same, a vertical press-box connected to the rear end of the said flue or passage, a follower movable vertically in the said pressebox, a follower movable horizontally in the main casing and in the fiue which connects the latter with the press-box, a iiexible apron connecting thoupperedge of the latter follower with a roller at the front end of the main casing,ashield arranged above the said roller and below the lint-entrance, and suitable operating mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose here in shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim'the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASA MAXEY STEELE.

Vitnesses;

Tirolulis Evans MCBRAYER, EVILUAM IIALL. 

